Wednesday, March 11, 2015

HAWKINSVILLE, GA, March 10, 2015 – Registration is now open for the fourth annual Charles Johnson Foundation Sports Academy and Community Weekend on June 19-20 in Hawkinsville, GA. The event welcomes 1st-12th grade girls and boys in Middle Georgia to a free-of-charge two-day event.

The annual Sports Academy is former University of Georgia Bulldog and current Carolina Panthers defensive end Charles Johnson's opportunity to give back to his hometown and connect with the community. The weekend of activities not only focuses on athletic skills, but also team-building and the importance of education. Coaches emphasize to the participants the importance of following their dreams and saying no to negative influences in their lives.

The Sports Academy includes clinics in basketball, dance, tennis, football and cheer. Johnson and some of his friends and coaches in the NFL and NBA attend the event to help guide participants through various activities. On Friday evening, everyone is invited to Middle Georgia Community Night where the community gathers together to celebrate one another and the foundation’s community partners. The evening also includes a check presentation to the two high school senior 2015 honorees of the Charles Johnson Foundation’s $20,000 college scholarships.

To register for the 2015 event, please visit here. The Foundation is looking for volunteers for the event and those interested should visit the foundation’s website for more details. If you or your business is interested in learning about sponsorship opportunities, please contactinfo@charlesjohnsonfoundation.org.

Charles Johnson is a native of Hawkinsville, GA, and a proud alumnus of Hawkinsville High School. After attending the University of Georgia where he starred at defensive end, Charles was drafted by the Carolina Panthers of the NFL in 2007 and now serves as a captain of the team.

Through eight professional seasons, Charles has received All-Pro recognition on the strength of 62.5 career sacks, placing him among the premier pass-rushers in the league.

In 2012, Charles’ passion for philanthropy and loyalty to Middle Georgia led him to launch the Charles Johnson Foundation. A non-profit organization, the Charles Johnson Foundation is dedicated to fulfilling a two-fold mission:

Providing opportunities for under-served youth to reach their full potential through athletic, recreational, and educational programs and initiatives; and

Providing support for single African American mothers through proven programs and initiatives.

The Charles Johnson Foundation Sports Academy and Community Weekend is the flagship annual event for the Charles Johnson Foundation, combining his efforts to advance education with free sports clinics in football, basketball, tennis, dance and cheer.

Tuesday, March 10, 2015

Yesterday some artists' renderings of the soon to be indoor practice facility were published. But last week Robert and I debated the topic ad nauseum. Sure, this IPF is an inevitability. The look and location of it are issues still to be settled. But it's coming.

**I tried to get this episode of the JunkYard Podcast uploaded to iTunes so that those of you that have subscribed could get it on whatever app you use to listen to podcasts on. I will continue to try as it's something I did several times last year when I was podcasting. But as of this moment, the success of such a task eludes me.

Will you be filling out a March Madness pool next week? Will you be confident in it enough to put some money behind your Final Four picks? Ever wonder why betting your own money isn't legal?

If the NCAA tournament was to take place in Europe or even some of the other continents in the world, the ability to wager a bet legally on proceedings would be readily available online. However, in the United States, as we know, this isn’t neither feasible nor a legal option.

Although little of that money will be wagered on our very own Bulldogs and more like on favorites Virginia, Kentucky and Duke it does beg the question as to why we cannot bet on events in the United States.

In 2011 Black Friday eliminated all online wagering sites and casino portals. And although some states have relaxed their gambling laws and allowed online casinos to once again operate, actual gambling on collegiate games is still prohibited.

Additionally, the NCAA prohibits any forms of gambling and like most sports also bans people involved with team in the NCAA from providing outsiders with information on upcoming games. It’s understandable, as the last thing they want to do is call the NCAA’s integrity into question.

But part of the reason why so many seem to bet illegally on the NCAA is due to the fact that many “feel that they will make money from betting,” according to the NCAA’s ‘Gambling on Sports’ article. On top of that, many students feel that it adds an extra “fun factor” to games which attributes to a high percentage of betting.

With there being approximately $70 billion per year bet illegally on college football, too, the chances of this problem going away anytime soon is unlikely. Hence, why so many are now calling for it to be regulated like in Europe and other continents. As with anything that isn’t regulated comes problems and corruption. At least if it’s regulated, people will stop getting ripped off by bogus bookmakers and ultimately, procedures like Betting Responsibly can be put in place to educate people better on the ways of gambling responsibly.

Bernie's Dawg Blawg is not affiliated with the University of Georgia or any other institution or organization. It's use is meant solely for your utter boredom as well as a complement to your working knowledge of all things DAWG.